Mary had a Little
Lamb in my mind as loudly as I could
think it. His head cocked to one side; his eyes narrowed as he
stared. I raised my brow a bit and smoothed out my expression,
trying to look innocent. For a moment he searched my face and I
froze … but then he turned and walked to the back of the store. The
children’s song gradually softened to nothing. I cleared my
thoughts, my mind went completely blank, and I waited until
his focus turned to the assorted nails.
Gavin!
He whipped around; shock
shot through me, and I gasped. His eyes blanked and then refocused.
Panic surged, making my pulse race.
Gavin tried to relax his
features as he made his way back. His eyes had me pinned, and I
tried to remember how to breathe. Every nerve heightened in
awareness and understanding. He placed my hand on his chest, his
gaze refusing to concede. The strong rhythm beneath my fingertips
sent my physical reaction to him in overdrive.
“Yes, Nora … I hear you.” The
emotional creature still comforting me tightened in reassurance.
Initial relief soared; I wasn’t crazy after all. Before Gavin, I
would have discounted the notion of telepathy as ludicrous.
Suddenly, it seemed natural.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I
whispered. Really, could he hear everything?
“I didn’t know how … and
yes, I hear your thoughts as if they are my own.”
“How does that work?” I
whispered again, trying to understand. He seemed to be choosing his
next words carefully.
“It is a trait that has
been genetically passed through my family. We all carry some of
this gift.” He started to say something else and then stopped. The
intensity in the room had my heart pounding out of my
chest.
“Can you read everyone’s
thoughts?”
“No, not really. Some
people I cannot see at all and some people come in spurts ... you
are the first person that is crystal clear.”
“I don’t understand …” How
could anything like this even be possible? Who was he? His emotions
spiked so strongly that I was physically uncomfortable.
“I promise I will tell you
in time, but that time is not now,” Gavin murmured.
This is going to get
take some getting use to .
“Would you rather I wait
until you speak?” His voice had a serious edge to it. “I’ve never
heard anyone so clearly before, and so I don’t know if I can block
your thoughts. But if you want me to, I will try.”
“I don’t know …” The idea
that someone could hear every errant thought traipsing through my
head was a little disconcerting. But it seemed unnatural at this
point to ask him to stay away. Maybe I’d get used to it.
“I understand the need for
privacy more than you know,” Gavin said cryptically; his eyes
softened with comprehension. I held my breath, trying not to think
about how incredibly attractive he was. He pretended not to hear me
struggle.
“Why do you think you hear
my mind more than others?”
“I have no idea.” He
hesitated, looking out the storefront window. “I suspect it’s
because your thoughts are the most transparent in intent I have
ever known,” he softly muttered.
“What do you mean?” I
asked, slightly distracted by the emotions churning. His eyes
turned back to me.
“You think in clear,
straight, clean lines. I’ve never known anyone like you.” Gavin’s
emotions strengthened.
“You must not have met many
people then,” I teased. The vortex of emotions made my stomach
queasy, like I was about to get carsick. I was starting to regret
eating those pancakes. At that thought, the feeling subtly
dissipated.
“My apologies,” he
said, smiling.
Okay, maybe you could try
to shut me out a little.
“I can try.” Distress
whispered over me.
“Not if it makes you sad,”
I countered. His smiled widened.
“May I help you finish
stocking the brushes?”
“Please.” I sighed, ever
grateful he was changing the subject.
I sat on the floor pricing
the rollers as he put them in their proper bin. My thoughts whirred
in the
Lamb in my mind as loudly as I could
think it. His head cocked to one side; his eyes narrowed as he
stared. I raised my brow a bit and smoothed out my expression,
trying to look innocent. For a moment he searched my face and I
froze … but then he turned and walked to the back of the store. The
children’s song gradually softened to nothing. I cleared my
thoughts, my mind went completely blank, and I waited until
his focus turned to the assorted nails.
Gavin!
He whipped around; shock
shot through me, and I gasped. His eyes blanked and then refocused.
Panic surged, making my pulse race.
Gavin tried to relax his
features as he made his way back. His eyes had me pinned, and I
tried to remember how to breathe. Every nerve heightened in
awareness and understanding. He placed my hand on his chest, his
gaze refusing to concede. The strong rhythm beneath my fingertips
sent my physical reaction to him in overdrive.
“Yes, Nora … I hear you.” The
emotional creature still comforting me tightened in reassurance.
Initial relief soared; I wasn’t crazy after all. Before Gavin, I
would have discounted the notion of telepathy as ludicrous.
Suddenly, it seemed natural.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I
whispered. Really, could he hear everything?
“I didn’t know how … and
yes, I hear your thoughts as if they are my own.”
“How does that work?” I
whispered again, trying to understand. He seemed to be choosing his
next words carefully.
“It is a trait that has
been genetically passed through my family. We all carry some of
this gift.” He started to say something else and then stopped. The
intensity in the room had my heart pounding out of my
chest.
“Can you read everyone’s
thoughts?”
“No, not really. Some
people I cannot see at all and some people come in spurts ... you
are the first person that is crystal clear.”
“I don’t understand …” How
could anything like this even be possible? Who was he? His emotions
spiked so strongly that I was physically uncomfortable.
“I promise I will tell you
in time, but that time is not now,” Gavin murmured.
This is going to get
take some getting use to .
“Would you rather I wait
until you speak?” His voice had a serious edge to it. “I’ve never
heard anyone so clearly before, and so I don’t know if I can block
your thoughts. But if you want me to, I will try.”
“I don’t know …” The idea
that someone could hear every errant thought traipsing through my
head was a little disconcerting. But it seemed unnatural at this
point to ask him to stay away. Maybe I’d get used to it.
“I understand the need for
privacy more than you know,” Gavin said cryptically; his eyes
softened with comprehension. I held my breath, trying not to think
about how incredibly attractive he was. He pretended not to hear me
struggle.
“Why do you think you hear
my mind more than others?”
“I have no idea.” He
hesitated, looking out the storefront window. “I suspect it’s
because your thoughts are the most transparent in intent I have
ever known,” he softly muttered.
“What do you mean?” I
asked, slightly distracted by the emotions churning. His eyes
turned back to me.
“You think in clear,
straight, clean lines. I’ve never known anyone like you.” Gavin’s
emotions strengthened.
“You must not have met many
people then,” I teased. The vortex of emotions made my stomach
queasy, like I was about to get carsick. I was starting to regret
eating those pancakes. At that thought, the feeling subtly
dissipated.
“My apologies,” he
said, smiling.
Okay, maybe you could try
to shut me out a little.
“I can try.” Distress
whispered over me.
“Not if it makes you sad,”
I countered. His smiled widened.
“May I help you finish
stocking the brushes?”
“Please.” I sighed, ever
grateful he was changing the subject.
I sat on the floor pricing
the rollers as he put them in their proper bin. My thoughts whirred
in the
Similar Books
